UCLA clinches share of Pac-10 championship

Afflalo scored 20 points as the fourth-ranked Bruins clinched at
least a share of the Pac-10 Conference regular-season
championship with a 75-61 victory over Stanford.

UCLA (25-3, 14-2) also completed a perfect season at home (16-0)
for the first time since the 1974-75 season - legendary coach
John Wooden's final season - and avenged a 75-68 loss to
Stanford earlier in the season in which it blew a 17-point lead.

"It was an important game for us because of the way we lost to
them the first time, losing that 17-point lead," Bruins coach
Ben Howland said. "Our defense kept us in the game.

"I was really proud of beating them on the boards. We held them
to only five offensive rebounds. That's a huge stat. How did
we do it? We just boxed out, it's a simple as that."

This time the Bruins used a 10-0 run early in the second half
behind Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to open a 53-40 advantage.

Mbah a Moute hit a 3-pointer and followed with a dunk and
freshman Russell Westbrook capped the spurt with a 3-pointer.
Stanford (17-10, 9-7) got the lead under double digits on one
occasion thereafter.

Landry Fields converted a three-point play to bring the Cardinal
within 60-51 with 7:15 to play, but Michael Roll answered with
a 3-pointer on the next possession and Afflalo connected from
the arc moments late to build the advantage to 68-55 with just
under 5 1/2 minutes left.

"It was a real nice win against a very good Stanford team,"
Howland said. "They are a very solid team. There's a good
chance we will play them again. We certainly don't want to see
Stanford in the NCAA Tournament."

Mbah a Moute scored 11 points and point guard Darren Collison
added 10 for the Bruins, who won their 20th consecutive game at
home.

UCLA posted its 10th undefeated season in 41 years at Pauley
Pavilion. Of the previous nine teams that went unbeaten, eight
advanced to the Final Four and seven won NCAA championships.

"It's great to go through the entire home season and hold your
home court, especially in this conference, which is the toughest
in the country," Howland said. "It was also special to do it
in front of the (school's) 1967 NCAA championship team. That
was a special team. This one is pretty special, too."

Freshman 7-footer Brook Lopez had 23 points and nine rebounds to
lead Stanford, which lost its second straight game despite
shooting 50 percent (24-of-48) from the floor.

The Cardinal were without starting guard Anthony Goods for the
third straight game due to a high ankle sprain.

"I thought we played good basketball overall," Stanford coach
Trent Johnson said. "We had so ill-advised turnovers. UCLA had
a lot of energy. They outrebounded us. I don't like to make
excuses, but Anthony Goods is important to our team, be we have
to go out and play the game."